Are rappers musicians?

So I just answered the question "Are rappers musicians?" on Facebook Questions, and I'd like to share my answer on here!

Music is defined as (paraphrasing http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/music), combining tones and sounds for artistic value.

That being said, rappers are very much musicians, as their contribution to a song is integral to not only a song's effect but also its meaning. Rappers rely less on tones and more on rhythms, and as many people have already pointed out, so do drummers - musicians. Rappers use their voices to produce their music, just as every other singer or vocalist does. Although the don't focus on pitch (but they do use it), their tones, timbres, and inflections are used and even celebrated. This is why B.o.B sounds different from Eminem sounds different from Lil' Wayne.

An interesting point on drummers - tabla players in Indian Classical music have onomatopoeic syllables to describe different kinds of strikes or hits. They are expected to be able to pronounce them as fast as they can play them, and sometimes even perform this way.

http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/bol_percussion.html

One point of argument may be in the repetitive nature of most rap songs. Cyclic music, although definitely found in Western music, is even more common in other musical traditions. In these styles, the musical piece is appreciated as more of a repeating melody with subtle or not-so-subtle variations thrown in; much like rap. I'm thinking particularly of Shona, Hindustani, and Gamelan music.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/147944/cyclic-form

Although rap lyrics can definitely be considered a subset of poetry, it's hard to imagine most rapper's style applied to other poetic forms such as haikus or limericks. While a rapper can and sometimes do rap without music, their lyrics are specifically intended to be performed withinstrumental accompaniment. This separates rap from Spoken Word, which is a definite form of poetry.

https://www.msu.edu/~miazgama/spokenword.htm

They may not be musicians like Rossini or Mozart as one answerer said, but I would argue that they may be. Mozart and and the like gained their popularity by how their arrangements of tones and sounds appealed to the common listener, which is exactly what guys like Jay Z or Snoop Dogg are doing. Time will only tell how long their music will last - don't forget that Mozart was the "sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll" of his time and genre, and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring essentially caused a mosh-pit at it's debut.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086879/

http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/milestones/991110.motm.riteofspring.html

With all of that being said, I firmly believe that rappers are musicians.

Newspaper

Hi everyone,

I haven't blogged in an unforgivably long time. I've been very busy with school and haven't found the time to sit down and blog.

But a couple highlights!

Over the past couple weeks, I have spoken in two of Dr. Jeannie Loeb's psychology classes. One was an abnormal psychology class, and the other was an introductory course. Both times I talked for the full fifty minutes, and had time to answer questions from the students. In fact, the 101 class seemed to have more intelligent questions than the more advanced one. I had a great time and the professor was very appreciative - it looks like I'll be doing this more in the future!

The second highlight is that the school newspaper the Daily Tar Heel ran not just one but two features on me and my Tourette's. One was a print article that went on last Friday's front page, and the other was a multimedia presentation intended for the internet. Here's a link to both!

Written Article

Multimedia Feature

Sorry for making you wait so long! I'll try to be better about staying updated!

-Michael

Birthday!

Monday was my birthday!! I:

1) started the day (at midnight) with the tail end of a jam session with Casey Smith, Duncan Lewis, and Paddy C.
2) Woke up late
3) Had a ton of birthday wishes on fBook - thanks everyone!
4) Sat and wrote music for a couple hours
5) Was sung 'happy birthday' by my dad ( Pj Crosa) and 'happy beerthday' by my grandma
6) Was almost sung 'happy birthday' by Christina Fluet. But then I wasn't.
7) Talked to my mom ( Melissa Robinson), who made an A on her first med school test!
8) Got a rice krispy treat cake in the mail from the afore-mentioned mother
9) Staff meeting cancelled by Josh Giles Alexander, yeeeeesss!
10) Went to Sugarland, read a couple chapters of "Mozart in the Jungle" and took a picture of what I got.
11) Doodled around in my office (that's right... I have one. Kind of.)
12) Got the ball rolling on a student org for people with neurological... differences
13) Stuffed myself at Chili's with my brothers
14) Went on a food run with Paul Rosser and Sami Card

15) I turned 20!

Camp Twin Lakes XVII - Outdoor Living Skills

This week I switched to work in the other CTL location in Rutledge. That means that while I know how to do all of the things, I'm not quite as familiar with the location. One of the session that we offer is called Outdoor Living Skills, which can be a pretty painful session. At Will-A-Way, we have a treasure hunt set up to teach the kids how to use a compass. At Rutledge, we discuss camping skills and maybe try out a few things like fire building, tent pitching, random play in the woods, etc.

I was scheduled for an OLS session with ten year old boys this week. I was a little nervous about not having the treasure hunt, but still confident. One was in a wheelchair to reduce internal bleeding (he had hemophilia) from a sprained ankle. I met them at the ball field with the external frame backpack full of camping essentials, and we went through the list and talked about each one in the shade. They seemed pretty interested, or at least interested in relating each of the items to a bear attack. When I got to the end of the list, I told them we'd go down to the camping outpost to try some fire building. They were pumped!

Now, here's the thing... I hadn't actually been to the camping outpost before. Somebody told me the trail to it was behind the ball field. So I found a trail that looked promising and off we went! As we walked, we sang "Goin on a bear hunt" and related the verses to the trail we were on. Once we came to a huuge field with nothing looking remotely like a campsite in sight, i was like 80% sure we were on the wrong trail. My poker face went into full swing.

"Are you sure this is the right trail?" asked a counselor.

"Yep!" I said.

"Are there snakes out here?"

"No way!"

"Are there bears out here?"

"Not at all!"

All bluffing. As for the bears and snakes, it's not that I knew there were any, I just didn't really know the status yay or nay.

It had to be between 90 and 100 degrees outside, and we were out in a field with absolutely no shade anywhere. The kids and I were dripping sweat - they were begging to turn back so I said "What do you guys say we stop right here and try building a fire?"

So there we sat, trying to light sticks on fire with a single set of flint and steel, blazing hot. I wanted to tell them that I've scared a bear away before, but I felt that with all the bull I was telling them before, they probably wouldn't believe me. The counselors had found a scrap of shade and were standing in it skeptically . I turn around and see one kid with his shirt off, spinning in circles saying "I'm dying of heat stroke, I'm dying of heat stroke!"

Finally I decided it was time to pull the plug. "You know what guys? You're doing such a great job that I think I'm gonna let you guys go a little early!" We headed back through the random field and the blazing sun. The wheelchair got stuck a couple times, it was crazy.

I thought I had gotten away with it without them knowing until I was walking back towards the dining hall after the session. I ran into one of the other counselors that hadn't come. He came up to me smiling and said "Hey Mike! I'm sorry I missed the session. I went down to where the campsites were and I didn't see you guys!"

I was glad he hadn't said that in front of anybody else from the group. I hoped that he wouldn't think to say anything to them later. I looked off in the distance and said:

"Hmm.... how strange....."

Camp Twin Lakes XVI

A little over Twitch and Shout left, I still have a lot of vocal tics. It's fine being at camp, but it would be difficult at school. It's a little strange, most of the staff forget when I didn't have vocal tics - kind of a strange play in identity!

This past week was absolutely amazing. The camp was dedicated for kids affected and infected by HIV. I didn't realize how much people with HIV have to hide - in fact, this was one of the only camps that is openly HIV, many others operate in secrecy. The large majority of the camp were inner city kids from Atlanta. I was a little worried about how the kids would react to being in the woods and to camp in general, but it couldn't have been better.

The kids and the counselors were an amazingly cohesive group. I knew all of the counselors name within the first day (never happens) and the kids immediately identified with the counselors and gave them respect. The kids treated each other like family, encouraging each other to try new things and enjoy every minute of camp.

Many of the campers were wary of my tics at first, but during opening ceremonies I got on stage and gave an explanation of my Tourette's. I always do my best to not parallel my Tourette's with whatever special need they might be at camp for (in this case, HIV). All though it might be a common thread to share, I have no idea what they've been through and if it really can be compared. I'd much rather them make that connection on their own. With that in mind, once I explained about my Tourette's the campers took to my Tourette's in a great way. The younger ones used my tics as a greeting to me and to each other, and even started affectionately calling me "Tip," my most common tic at the time. The older ones asked me questions, and even told me about friends and family members who have Tourette's. In fact, one of the kids in my cabin had Tourette's and I didn't find out until the last day. He was beaming when I asked him about it!

Camp is amazing.

Camp Twin Lakes XVI - Twitch and Shout

Reflecting on Camp Twitch and Shout, it was a great experience and I can't wait to help them out next year. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to get out of the week, and it was good to go in with no expectations. I got to meet Brad Cohen, author of Front of the Class, a book about Tourette Syndrome which has meant a lot to me and others. I also got to meet Jimmy Wolk, the actor that played him in the Hallmark movie based on the book. Both guys were phenomenal at camp, and I got to be particularly close with Jimmy. Here's a (bad) picture of the three of us:

Jimmy Wolk, Me, and Brad Cohen

This summer has really pushed me towards music as a career and possibly music therapy. Brad was the founder of Camp Twitch and Shout, and I (probably) wouldn't have known about Brad had it not been for the movie. I had them both sign a little djembe that I've had for a while - a significant thing, I think!

Camp Twitch and Shout had a Hollywood theme for their dance, red carpet and all that. On each of the six doors, they put up a star with somebody's name on it. Two were the camp directors, one was the nurse, one was Jimmy, one was Tim Howard (Team USA goalkeeper, who has Tourette's), and one was for me. It was a small gesture, but a meaningful one. At the end of the night, Brad found me and asked for a picture with me. Also a small but meaningful gesture. Meeting the Twitch and Shout crew really showed me how much is being done, but also how much is still needed. I want to take this motivation back to UNC, raise some money for next year, start a group - and who knows, maybe even create some awareness ;-)

Brad and I after the Twitch and Shout dance

Camp Twin Lakes XV

Camp Twitch and Shout left today. A lot of them were crying as left the friends they had made and ventured back into the real world where tics weren't the normal thing anymore. I welled up a little bit too, as kid after kid came up to me saying how awesome of a time they had at camp. Now that I have some time, I want to write about some stories from camp that really stuck with me.

One of the kids in the cabin I was hanging out with was Holden, who I mentioned in an earlier post. Holden was a little different than most, it seemed like his parents had a very intolerant view towards his Tourette's because he continuously apologized for his tics and had a few other strange attitudes towards it. Holden did not seem to be aware of religious diversity in the world, because one day he began talking about religion with his favorite counselor, Jimmy. Jimmy was trying to avoid the subject and yet be honest. After Holden realized that Jimmy's beliefs were not the same as his own, he asked "If you're not Christian, then what are you?" to which Jimmy answered "Well Holden... I'm Jewish." Holden held it in for a while, but began to break down as soon as Jimmy left the room. Another counselor, Zack, tried to console by explaining to him that Jesus was Jewish, which further confused Holden and his religious identity. By the time I entered the scene, Holden was ticcing the word "CHRISTIAN" very loudly and almost painfully in the cabin. It was hard to tell if it was a tic or a strange sort of plea. Holden found a closet and shut himself inside it - Zack and I let him be for a while. He also started ticcing the words "JIMMY" and "PEANUT BUTTER." It's uncommon for tics to directly relate to what the ticcer is sad or upset about, but it Holden was clearly upset about things both religious and culinary. Zack got the rest of the cabin playing a round of Apples to Apples while I went to Holden's closet.

I opened the door and found him sitting - he was crying loudly and asked for his parents. After many attempts to change the subject, I told him I was kind of hungry and would like to sneak an ice cream sandwich from the dining hall and would like some company. He agreed, and off we went. We walked in silence most of the way, and as soon as we left the cabin he didn't have any of the afore mentioned tics. We made our way to the dining hall where I deftly scooped two ice-cream sammies out of the freezer without any other campers seeing. Holden and I left the building and walked towards archery. Here's what the conversation was like:

"What's been your favorite part of camp, Holden?"
"Tourette's."

"Yeah it's good to be around people like you."

"Yeah."

"Tell me about your life, man. Tell me about you."
"Well... I like... I don't like my Tourette's. I like video games."

"Me too, Holden."

After a long pause, he said: "Thanks for being my friend."

And with that, we turned around and went back to the cabin. We didn't talk about Jimmy, or Jesus, or anything really. It was just being there that helped Holden calm down.

The next day, I was reading the Sungrams during the camp news. Sungrams are little messages campers can write to one another for encouragement or compliments. I was getting towards the end of the Sungrams when I got to one in particularly scribbled handwriting. I made eye contact with Jimmy, then the slightly strange but heartfelt message:

"To Jimmy from Holden. You are a good friend. You are like my dad."

The next story took place on the very last day up on the ropes course. We had a cabin of 15 and 16 year old girls doing the high team challenge, which is a team-building challenge that we can send up to eight campers and/or counselors on at a time, thirty-five feet up in the air. One girl in this group named Emma seemed to be having a particularly hard time with her tics. She kept making a big deal of it though, apologizing and saying something about each one to the group.

"CHICKEN TERIYAKI PENIS! ooh, that was kinda strange. ORANGE JUICE CUM! Yeah, didn't mean that one..." and so on. When we were clipping her into the ropes course, she said she was worried that she would have a tic to unclip her crab claws (the device connecting the harness to the safety cable) or jump off the platform. The counselors were devided; a couple knew she was doing it for attention, while the other CTL facilitator was giving in, asking the girl if she would be safe up there or if maybe she shouldn't go. I knew what was going on, so I told the other facilitator it was fine and we sent the girl up. It took her about twenty minutes to get up the cargo net, a feat which takes most kids - even kids with tics worse than hers - about two or three. She sat on the platform at the top and waited for the rest of the cabin to get up. While she was up there, she had a few tics that made her jump off the platform (a few kids actually had that throughout the week) but don't worry, she was clipped in and perfectly safe. We got the cabin up there and began the activity, to walk across suspended pieces of wood while the group held hands in a circle. Emma began to talk about 'what if she got a tic and made people fall,' and began crying that people would get mad at her. I was starting to get very irritated, because at this point I could tell she was embellishing her Tourette's for attention and keeping the group from doing the activity big time. Instead of coddling her or taking her down, I told her to wait in the back with me while the other facilitator took the rest of the group. Emma sat patiently while the rest of the group went, and while she gave advice and direction to the rest of the group, she didn't have any major tics or issues. After the group was halfway across to the next platform, I sat down across from Emma, and thirty-five feet in the air I said to her:

"Okay, let's talk. I know tics, and you know tics. We both know that we can do certain things to make them worse. I'm calling your bluff, I don't think your tics are as bad as you're making them. You haven't had any tics since you've been up here that make me nervous about you being up here."

She got big eyes, and said "Are you saying I don't have tics?"

"Notice I said I haven't seen any tics that make me nervous about you being up here. This is Tourette's camp, I have Tourette's, and you can do this activity, there's no reason for you to be sitting out. In life, you have to work past the tics and live life not thinking about it. Once you overcome them, people will respect you for that and you'll be better for it. I know, because I have. It's hard, because as Touretters we're naturally obsessive. But as soon as that group gets to the next platform, I want you to go over and join them."

That was all that needed to be said. From then on, her tics were average, and she acted like a regular camper, not pleading for attention. She got across the ropes course, and she and I even went over one element together, holding on to each others shoulders. We talked about life, and she told me about how much positive she has gained from having Tourette's, OCD, ADHD, and a learning disability. It was a great moment, and I felt good about it because nobody else could have done that. Someone with Tourette's doesn't know what it feels like, and wouldn't have been able to call her out like I did.

That's it for tonight, it's getting really late. Don't worry though, I've got more about Camp Twitch and Shout to write about!

Camp Twin Lakes XIV

Hi again! I'm doing my best to write about Camp Twitch and Shout as much as I can, but I want to spend as much time with them as much as possible! Being around these kids have made my own tics a lot worse, but I don't care a single bit because it's such an amazing place to be. My vocal tics usually consist of "HUWOP!" "DIP," or "TIP," but there have definitely been plenty of random ones as well as some coprolalia.

I've gotten pretty close to one camper in particular, John, who has very strong tics. An example of his physical tics, he hits himself (very hard) and gives people very violent hugs, and coprolalia. He and I set each other's tics off; when I hear him tic, it makes me tic, and vice versa just like a yawn. At one point, we were walking somewhere together and it sounded like this:

"FUCK!"

"HUWOP!"

"FUCK!"

"HUWOP!"

"FUCK FUCK!"

"HUWOP HUWOP!"

We both were very aware of the situation and how strange it was, but we couldn't stop! I led a drum session with John's cabin and it wen really well. All the campers were pretty chill, and were able to continue a beat without needing to do games and to keep them going. At one point, John started having a very strong bout of physical tics and went off to the side so that he could work them out. In my own experience, going off to the side just made it worse because it only gives more attention to focus on the tics. The group was self-sustaining for the moment, so I grabbed a drum, took it to him and said "alright John, I'm going to try something."

I got up close to him, almost in his face, and said "John, play this drum. Play this drum John. Play it. Now." He reached out and tapped it when he could; when his arm ticced away from the drum I kept it going "John, just play the drum play this rhythm." I was a little nervous that I might piss him off by being insensitive, but I checked in with him later and he was appreciative. I was trying to make him concentrate on using his body for a purpose, hoping to eliminate the idle body that is like a canvas for tics. I recognized some of my own tics in him, and I think that what made me do that was that I wanted to experiment and maybe learn more about myself. It didn't work as tearjerkingly perfect as I had hoped, but it was still a pretty powerful moment for me and I hope for him too.

That's it for now - I gotta go help at paddle boats!

Camp Twin Lakes XIII

Today was the first full day of camp for Camp Twitch and Shout, the first day of sessions! In the morning, I started out with two drumming sessions with girls ages (about) 10-14. It was a lot harder than I expected - the kids were easily distracted (especially with drums in front of them) and not terribly interested in the activities I had prepared. That's okay though, I've got all week to try it again!

I also got to go up on the ropes course with Jimmy - he and I partnered up and put our hands on each other's shoulders as we walked across wires 35 feet up in the air. I got a chance to talk to him about his depiction of Tourette's in the movie Front of the Class and talk to him about it.

This week is awesome!

Camp Twin Lakes XII

Before Camp Twin Lakes, I hadn't met anybody else with Tourette Syndrome. Today I met over a hundred.

Check in for Camp Twitch and Shout was today, and it was an incredible experience. For one, my tics went absolutely crazy, I was yelling and even had some very definite coprolalia going. It was really cool, because I could see so many kids who were nervous about coming to camp for the first time. I would let out a big "HUP!," they would look at me and their eyes would get really wide and their mouths open, in awe at the guy who was like them and walking around doing important-looking stuff! It's a good feeling that my Tourette's could provide so much comfort for the kids!

Specific story time: I went to meet the cabin I would be hanging out with for the week (which incidentally Jimmy is a counselor for) and we played a game of Apples to Apples. There was one kid - we'll call him Holden - with significant vocal tics, but most of the kids had physical ones. Holden seemed to have some other comorbidities, perhaps some ADD and maybe some Asperger's, I couldn't quite tell. When we were on our way to the dining hall, Holden walked next to me. Out of the blue he declared "you're cool." After denying his claim and telling him that in fact he was the cool one, he said very matter-of-factly "I have Tourette's, just like you." It was one of the awesomest things I've heard, because it sounded like it could have been the first time he was able to take pride in his disorder - and he did it by comparing himself to me. I can already tell I'm gonna cry when they leave!

Camp Twin Lakes XI

At last, Camp Twitch and Shout is here!

This weekend my mom came to visit this weekend and we went to watch Toy Story 3 together, an outing we had planned a year ago when trailers for the movie first started being released. We drove back to camp, and in the parking lot I saw none other than Brad Cohen himself, an author, speaker, and educator who I look up to immensely. The movie that they made about his life, called Front of the Class was a huge inspiration and has means a lot to me. I was able to collect myself in the car enough to act like a normal human being in front of him, but it was hard. He was with another camp director and other staff, both of which also had Tourette's. Being around other Tourettics for the first time, I was really excited and hoopin and hollering (involuntarily, that is!)

Later that night, Cate and I were jamming in the dining hall in preparation for the next week. At about 1:30 AM, one of the counselors came in to listen to us. "Sound great!" he said. I couldn't really see him, so I said hi and asked him his name. "My name is Jimmy." As he stepped into the light, I saw that it was the actor who played Brad in the movie. I had held myself together when I met Brad, but when I met Jimmy, I lost it.

"uh... my name is Michael... hummahumaa a movie guy...." and so on.

Basically, this week is going to be AWESOME.

Camp Twin Lakes X

This week and last week we've had camps for people with developmental and other mental disabilities. The first week was for youth ages 7 to 30, and this week is adults ages 30 all the way up to 68. It's been a very interesting group, and just like with Roger from earlier on, it's clear that the people here aren't so much limited, they're just posed with different challenges. I've been leading a lot of drum sessions the past two weeks, switching with people so that I lead drumming multiple times per day.

The campers usually have a lot of fun, and often get really excited and really into it. One moment stuck in my head - I was leading a group of girls who were probably about my own chronological age in a drum session, and I told them "you all are doing wonderfully, we'll all be pros before you know it!" One girl was particularly moved, and jumped up and said "I'm doing it, I'm doing it! They always tell me I can't, that I'll never be able to but look at me now, I'm DOING IT!!!!" It was very touching, because it was very heartfelt and very real.

This week we have older people - I thought it would be different than working with kids, but it's really not. Other than having more medical issues and being more interested in sex, it's the same as working with kids. There's one guy who's in his late fifties, he looks like he could be a friends dad, but once you talk to him, he's very much at a 6 or 7 year old level. He likes to try pulling pranks on the women, he gets nervous and shaky if he thinks you're going to get angry at him, and so on. During my drum session with his cabin, we went on a 'drum parade' where we sneak up to other sessions and surprise them with loud noises and percussion. Somehow, he had heard about the drum parade before and asked to do it as soon as the group sat down. He had such an awesome time sneaking around to other sessions, it was a sight to see. When we snuck up on the dance and movement session, he ran circles around the group holding his lollipop drum high above his head. It was awesome to see someone so old having such a good time.

Also, I found out from a guy with Savant's Syndrome I was born on a Thursday. The point is, I'm really enjoying teaching drumming, and I'm going to start looking into music therapy programs once I get back to Chapel Hill.

Cheers!

Camp Twin Lakes IX

We had a camp come through that was exclusively for children with burn injuries, Camp Coldwater. This camp has been going for eighteen years, and they are on top of their stuff like nobody's business! They had all sorts of things planned and ready; in fact, they brought in an 18-wheeler full of toys, golf carts, and other equipment to give these kids the best week ever. While many camps may bring in about half as many volunteers as campers, Camp Coldwater actually had significantly more volunteers than campers. They were able to have generous camper-to-counselor ratio in the cabins, as well as plenty of administrative staff and special teams. The volunteers were mostly firefighters, but there were also plenty of previous campers and UGA Social Work students.

My favorite was the fluids team - because skin grafts don't sweat, overheating can be an issue. There were two golf carts and about five or six people dedicated to bringing mixtures of kool-aid with themed names such as 'Dragons Breath,' 'Peasants Revolt,' and 'Damsels Delight' for the kids. They had their own walkie-talkie channel specifically for fluids, so that any time a kid said "I'm kinda thirsty," their counselor would radio for fluids and they'd show up at the drop of a hat.

I wasn't really sure what to expect in terms of interacting with the kids, specifically towards their injuries. At the routine staff medical briefing meeting, the nurses told us that some kids were injured in accidental fires, while others sustained their injuries from the malicious intentions of others. The first day, I noticed every burn, every skin graft. When I introduced myself to the cabin I was assigned to help out for the week, the counselors told me their own burn stories within about an hour without any prompting or asking:

"Hey, I'm Clint, I've been coming to camp since the first Camp Coldwater eighteen years ago. When I was four, my mom was cooking bacon and I climbed up the stove and knocked the pan all over myself."

Walt told me a touching story - "When I was a kid, I was pourin gas on a fire to see it light up, you know? The first couple times it was really cool and the fire - like - WHOOM - ya know! but then the fire went up into the gas can, and it exploded all over me. I could hear my brothers yellin "Roll, man, roll!" so I did and it worked. My Mom poured cold water on me from the hose, and the doctors said that's what helped keep me from bein burned real bad. I camp to camp the second year, that's where I met Clint. Then you know Kathy? She bit a TV cord when she was little and has a burn on the side of her mouth. We met then, too, now we're married with one kid and one on the way!"

At Coldwater I didn't make as many close bonds with individual campers as I had for some of the other camps, but I had a lot of smaller moments with a lot of them. Many of the campers and volunteers this week were from the deep south, real country boys and girls and proud of it. I'm a little ashamed to say, there was one instance in which I thought a kid had some cognitive deficits, but it turns out he was just being country. 'Deep South' isn't really a heritage that I particularly identify with, so I was a little self-conscious sometimes about how I came across.

However, the fact of the matter was that the kids were still kids at summer camp, and therefore they think every little thing you do is awesome. One moment stuck out in my head the most. I got to MC the talent show, which I did dressed as a banana. All the kids loved it, and I was from then on known to the campers as "Banana Man." Even the ones who I assumed I would have the least in common with would come up to me with all sorts of high-fives and hugs and smiles, telling me what they did that day and the recent news with their date to the prom and with their friends.

The Banana Man

There was one moment of camp that stuck in my head the most. The cabin I had been hanging out with all week had asked me to do a drumming session with them during camp swim time. I took the six boys (ages 11-12) and Clint over to the pavilion and asked them to pull over three picnic tables in a U-shape so that we have a place to sit. Immediately, the boys each ran to a different table, each one tugging with all his might. I called them back over and told that it was a team building exercise (bluffing) and that they need to work together. With that, they all went to the same table but started tugging and pulling at different times and angles. The more dominant boys started getting frustrated and began barking orders, while the others - and one in particular - were very clearly getting upset. Clint and I got them all to stop and sit down at one of the tables and take a few deep breaths.

Then, we started talking. It was very difficult for them to create constructive criticism, and even harder for them to point out their own shortcomings in dealing with the situation. One boy even had some tears, because he had been picked on throughout the week by some of the tougher boys. Finally, we came to a consensus about how to treat each other and the method of going about moving the table. The group elected a leader, and he led the team to move the tables. It was still rough, but the job got done.

During the drum session, I tried my hardest to pick activities that encouraged teamwork and emphasized that we were working together to make one sound. It was a difficult session to get going, but picked up pretty well considering the earlier frustration.

After the session, it was time to move the tables back. I had hoped that my budding skills as a drum-circle facilitator had worked miracles, and that they would be able to move the tables with smiles and laughter, and we'd go skipping merrily into the sunset. In reality, it was still a difficult task to move the tables. BUT it happened, and it happened with considerably less frustration and agression than the first time.

It's funny how little unexpected moments like this can pop up and really have an impact on you. At the beginning I was a little anxious about what it would be like to work with kids with burn injuries. It turns out that as usual, kids are kids no matter what. The rest is only skin deep.

Camp Twin Lakes VIII

Most camps have a dance towards the end of the week. It's funny how a silly little event that we put on by simply pressing 'play' on an iPod can cause so much excitement in a group of kids! They get all nervous about who they like, whisper to each other about who's cute and who's not, but only the brave ones actually ask somebody to the dance. Matchmakers emerge, it's kinda funny to watch one go between two worthy candidates and next thing you know, another pair are going to the dance together. The expert matchmakers keep lists, I've seen it with my own eyes! One little girl will go up to the other and ask for some help, and the second girl will respond with "I'll get you Ryan, Trevor, or Carson, take your pick." They might even try to get two counselors to go together if they get confident!

This particular week I met a camper named Derrick who has Celiac Disease, which is intolerance to a protien found in wheat, rye, and barley called Gluten. It's not actually an allergy; the immune system goes on 'self-destruct' mode whenever this protein is present. It can be pretty severe; even food that's been exposed to something with flour can set of a reaction! Even though that week was designed for kids with Celiac Disease, they were so used to checking everything they ate that for the first few days they asked to double check if each food was gluten-free. Derrick and I got along pretty well - he was a pretty chill 9-year old who's in cub scouts and always participated in stuff. He showed interest in the Ukulele, and he picked up a few chords pretty fast! I asked if he was going to continue into Boy Scouts. He said no, that it would be really difficult to do campouts with his dietary needs. I took the opportunity to tell him about my journey with Tourette's, and how I continued with scouts anyway and ended up with my Eagle rank. It was like putting in a message in a bottle because you know that it's an important message but you have no way of knowing if anything will happen because of it.

Right before I left Chapel Hill to come down here, I bought this old suit that looks like it's at least thirty years old for ten bucks at a thrift store. It's gray plaid, and the pants come up to my stomach. Counselors at the dance are supposed to be a mix of party starters (too keep the kids from being glued to the walls) and 'room for Jesus' police (to keep the kids from being glued to each other). So naturally, I wore the suit. I also wore a black cap, rainbow suspenders, and an oversized bowtie for good measure.

I walked in a few minutes after the party started (I needed time to get changed!) and once the kids saw me they all started laughing and clapping. I made myself the life of the party, dancing super awkward to keep the mood fun. Right after I made my entrance, 9-year old Lucy (the camp matchmaker) marched up to me and snatched off my hat and bowtie. I watched as she went back to her date (Derrick), put the accoutrements on him, and proclaimed "See? Now you're cute!"

My accessories ended up in various places on various campers. I looked over to see Lucy in the bowtie and Derrick in my hat and jacket, dancing like middle schoolers - arms stretched as far as they could go, trying as hard as possible not make eye contact. I love kids!

Camp Twin Lakes VII

One of the camps that came through here recently was a camp put on by a local healthcare organization. It was a study that put overweight children in an positive active environment with healthy food for a week, then follow up a couple months and see how they're doing. The hope is that the kids would all participate in the same physical activity available elsewhere, but would be doing it with other kids like them and would gain the confidence to join in activities back at home.

The dietitian was this intense little lady from somewhere in Europe. She planned foods like butternut-squash ravioli... things that under normal consensual circumstances would be fine and probably even delicious. However, when forced upon kids who were not used to these kinds of foods in the first place, it was not pretty. One girl was legitimately crying over the ravioli.

Just like in the movie Heavy Weights, the counselors had their stash of sweets. Since I lived in the staff cabins I did not need to hide it, but the poor volunteers who lived in the cabins did. There's a refrigerator in the dining hall that usually holds extra milk and stuff like that; this particular week it mysteriously contained piles of mozzarella cheese and bags of fun-sized candy bars. When nobody was looking, the counselors would sneak over to get their fix.

The last day of camp, Miss Tiff the dining hall director handed out cookies after dinner to all the kids. One asked if there was any milk; since it had all been put up since breakfast, she pointed him to the refrigerator in the corner. I knew what was in there, but I really wanted to see what was going to happen.

The little guy marched over to the refrigerator, and had his chubby little arm reaching for the door before one of the volunteers saw him. It was like a slow-motion action scene - the staffer yelled "NOOOOOO!!" at the top of her lungs and started shouting at the boy to stay away from the fridge. Other campers got the idea something good was in there, so they all got up and started moving across across the room, the fastest I had seen them go as a unit the whole week. The volunteer got up from her seat and started running; at that point it was just a battle of the wills. Somehow, she got to the refrigerator before it was actually ever opened. Throwing herself in front of the children like a human shield, she was able to get turn them away without them ever finding out what was in it.

Epic.

Camp Twin Lakes VI

Hey everyone! This next week we have a camp that's low on volunteers and we'll be staying in the cabins with the kids, so my internet opportunities are going to be even more rare. I'll post a couple new pictures that should hold you over until my next blog opportunity!

Strugglin' during morning stretches

Fighting Albert the Alligator in the pool

The Weetles

Dead Battery

Camp Twin Lakes V - SPIRIT CHECK!

During meal times, we have a few different cheers. If someone yells "SPIRIT CHEEEECK!!!" then there's a pattern that everyone bangs on the table and has fun. It's fun, but can get old real quick if it's done so much you can't eat. There's also a call that makes an individual get up and shake their booty, and if the kids get creative you could end up doing the worm, dancing with a trashcan, or serenading somebody!

Roger is a camper who is no stranger to Camp Twin Lakes. He's been to several other camps which he qualifies for, and absolutely loves it. Roger had a brain injury that left him with limited mobility; he is in a wheelchair most of the time but can go short distances on crutches. Roger is a big fan of spirit checks and calls them at almost every opportunity. He often calls on people to do ridiculous things such as trashcan dancing or I'malittleteapoting. As much fun as he was having, I had a hard time imagining what would happen if he was called on to do something, and that maybe he was even safe from it.

Eventually, it happened. "Hey Roger! Shake your booty!" "no!" "shaake yoour boooty!" "NO!" (that's the script, btw) "SHAKE YOUR BOOTY!" "OKAY!" and with a big grin on his face, Roger pulled himself up in between two tables and wiggled along as everyone in the dining hall sang the song "Jump! shake your booty, Jump Jump shake your booty!"

During the Luau Party at the pool (one of our regular evening events here at Camp Twin Lakes), Roger decided that he wanted to try going down the water slide. Bear in mind, Roger pretty much has to stay against the wall of the shallow end propping himself up against the wall any time he's in the pool. He'd never been down a slide before in his life, and it was time. After putting him in a life-jacket, two staff members helped him up the stairs while one waited at the bottom of the slide. The whole pool turned to cheer him on, and I (who was filling in for the band that canceled last minute) made up a song about him going down the slide on the spot.

I could tell from the ground he was nervous, and getting in the slide seemed to be a challenge all in itself. When Kaz, my roommate, pushed him down the slide there was a silence across the pool as we waited for him to come out the bottom. Sure enough - Splash! - Roger came flying out the bottom into the arms of Ben, another roommate of mine. "THAT WAS AWESOME!!!" I heard him say.

Roger is a reminder that things like brain injuries and wheel chairs don't limit, they just pose new challenges. Roger's constant calling for people to check their spirits can be taken outside of the dining hall and the pool to everywhere in life. The next day, Roger went down the slide eleven times.

And then made me sing "I'm a Little Tea Pot" at dinner.

Loganville

While driving to the camp where I currently work, I realized that I was very close to Loganville, the town where I had lived when I was about 4 to 7. A few days ago, I finally got the opportunity to go exploring with two other friends from camp. When we got to Loganville, and I called my mom to find the house where we lived. Aaaand we did!

Mom said the last time she was there, they were building a mansion behind it and using our old house as storage. Fortunately, the old house was still standing but it doesn't seem to be used anymore. The mansion itself is waay back and kind of hidden by a hill, but even still there's this big gaudy fence with lions all up on the front and signs that say things like "Caution - guard dog" and "Security Camera in use to aide the prosecution of theft." Sho nuff, there's a surveillance camera mounted on the corner of our old patio. Behind the house is a tree that I planted when I was five, it's really cool to see how it's grown!

The house I lived in when I was little

The tree I planted when I was five

We used to keep bunnies in this barn!

The big fanciness that is on the driveway now

Camp Twin Lakes IV

Hey folks! I thought I'd post some pictures from camp twin lakes. A big thanks to Ted Denning for the pictures!

Getting helped up the wall

Going down the zipline

CTL Outdoor Adventure Staff - that's me at the top of the arc!

Playing with the Ceetles

(Camp Twin Lakes, CTL, Ceetles... get it??)

Singing 'Bo Diddly Man' at the talent show.

Camp Twin Lakes III

Early on, I posted a link to a Bobby McFerrin thingy that I really liked. He tells the audience what pitches to sing by jumping different places on stage and then sings over top of that. I did that today with the staff of Twin Lakes and it went pretty well! I'm looking forward to trying it with campers.

Also, I've talked to various members of staff about Tourette's, it's always nice to spread awareness! It turns out that one of the staff here freakin KNOWS Brad Cohen! Like, she works with him! I'm so pumped for Twitch and Shout!

Peace ;)

Camp Twin Lakes II

So I'm not sure if I'm going to come up with creative titles or just number posts. Whatevs!

So some history of Camp Twin Lakes, it was started as somewhat of union between a few special needs camps, such as Camp Sunshine (for children with cancer), Camp Kudzu (for children with diabetes), and others that needed a place to host their camps. The original facility was (is) in Rutledge, Georgia. Over the years demand grew and they expanded and took over Camp Will-A-Way, located in the Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, Georgia. Will-A-Way is smaller and not yet as established as Rutledge; in fact, this is only the second year of it's functioning as part of CTL. I was hired as the Music Guy (official title) at Will-A-Way, and part of that is integrating what they do musically at Rutledge into the Will-A-Way scene.

Training is being done jointly between the Rutledge and the Will-A-Way staffs this year. For the past couple of days I've been in Rutledge doing training over there, and tonight/tomorrow they're going to come to Will-A-Way for the rest of training. A few of the counselors at Rutledge have a band called the Ceetles (get it? CTL, Camp Twin Lakes...) and I got a chance to jump in with them. I played djembe (although I was prepared with electric guitar and clarinet), two others played guitar, one played piano, and one sang. Actually the keyboard player and one of the guitars all sang, they had a nice little harmony going on. We played "Love Is," "Party in the USA," and "Burnin' Up" for the other counselors and they loved it. I can't wait to play for the campers at Will-A-Way!

We also got a chance to hear from some of the camper's parents. It was a great chance to hear the struggles of serious illness from the parent's point of view, which is often forgotten. It also reminded us that what we do at camp is not just for the campers, but it also gives the parents a chance to rest. While listening to one parent who's child had a form of Muscular Dystrophy, I was reminded about my own journey with Tourette Syndrome and how much my parents did for me. I remember my mom told me once that she lost weight during the time I was getting diagnosed. Because she didn't eat. Because she was just that worried. I remembered what I felt when she told me that and my eyes started welling up in the middle of our training session! Afterwards, I went up and told the woman that she reminded me of my own mother and I asked to give her a hug since I couldn't hug mom. She consented and it was wonderful.

This summer is going to be incredible, I'll keep you posted the whole way through!

How Cool Being Cool Can Be

Yesterday I went to Chick-fil-a for dinner. When I pulled up to the speaker box menu thing, the girl at the other end introduced herself as Christina and asked for my order. Having just learned about how to interact with people at camp training, I thought I'd make it interesting.

"Welcome to Chick-Fil-A my name is Christina how may I help you?"
"Hi Christina, my name is Michael!"
"Good to meet you!"
"You too! Can I please have a number three combo with a peach milkshake?"
"Okay! Your total is X please drive around!"
"Alrighty, I'm excited!"
"Yaay!"

When I drove around I got a big smile and a wave. The person bagging the food and tending the register also seemed to be in a particularly good mood too! I left feeling good, and I hope they did too. Sometimes, its fun to be the customer who goes the extra mile.

PS, I typed this all on my new blackberry. Cool, but definitely a one time only thing.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Camp Twin Lakes

This summer I got a job as an Outdoor Adventure Leader / Music Coordinator for a camp in Georgia called Camp Twin Lakes. It's a camp that caters to children with "severe illnesses and serious life challenges." Each week, a different partner organization hosts a camp meaning that each week we have a completely different set of kids with completely different needs. For example, Camp Weekaneatit is for children with Celiac's Disease, Camp High Five is for children who are HIV positive, and Camp Twitch and Shout is for kids with - you guessed it - Tourette Syndrome!

I got to camp on Monday and it's already Thursday. We've been doing training for ropes courses, and I've been learning to belay and work harnesses and hoist kids way high off the ground. I brought a lot of instruments with me and I can't wait to lead songs and stuff. Here's the banner for Twitch and Shout that's hanging in the dining hall:

I'll post again soon, I promise!

Graduation

Today, the UNC's class of 2010 graduated! The commencement ceremony was interesting, John Grisham was the speaker, and a very entertaining one at that.

I also went to the music departmental graduation, which was nice and more intimate. Several Phi Mu Alpha brothers graduated with degrees in music, including Myron, Danny, Dave, and Ford. The guest speaker was Anthony Griffey, and he gave a very... "gifted"... speech. At one point in t ceremony the graduation choir sang 'Sleep' by Eric Whitacre, a performance that put in context of the day almost brought me to tears.

Here's a picture of four of us from the ceremony. Danny and Myron graduated, Patrick and Danny sang in the choir, and I sat in the audience.

Me, Danny, Myron, and Patrick at the music departmental graduation ceremony

The Semester of the Rainbow

As a child, I grew up in a church that openly accepted individuals of all backgrounds. While this open statement is meant to be inclusive of all forms of diversity, everyone knew that it was particularly meant for gay (and otherwise non-heterosexual) people. I grew up being aware and understanding of the LGBTQ community and their issues, had a few gay friends, was a passive supporter of gay rights. I remember realizing early on that it must not be a choice; it would be a very silly choice for someone to make! They'd be consciously limiting their candidate pool and causing a bunch of potential controversy in their own life.

As a straight man, I'd not had many close encounters with the issue before. Nobody had ever come out of the closet to me before, nor had I had many deep conversations about it and what it means for that individual. This semester, four of my close friends came out.

Maybe I should be more specific, because 'coming out' is a different experience not only for each person but for each time they tell someone. 'Coming out' doesn't necessarily refer to the first time a person acknowledges their sexual orientation to someone else; even openly gay people can experience 'coming out' if they're telling someone new who didn't already know. Each of my friends had already come out for the first time to somebody else (close friends or family depending on the case), but I was one of the first of their friends to know. It is a very flattering experience to be trusted enough by someone for them to come out to you, and I want to share two of those (the second and the third) here on Music and Tourette's.

The first friend I want to write about is Danny. Danny pledged Phi Mu Alpha with me in the fall of 2009. We became particularly close while both learning to play trumpet together in the Marching Tar Heels. Danny and I had a tendency to laugh at everything, and laughter from one of us can get the other going like no other. We developed a very close friendship (in fact, we recently participated in a psychology study about how close friends interact!) One night after a band gig, Danny was driving me back home when he said (I'm paraphrasing) "I have something I should tell you:" after some hesitance he said (and here I quote): "I think I might be gay."

Now - at the time, my focus was drawn not to the 'gay' part but rather to the 'might be' part. I racked my brains for ways to have meaningful conversation about the 'might be,' because I assumed it was something he was trying to figure out. Since I didn’t really have any experience or anything to share, I couldn’t think of anything to say. Danny took my silence to mean that I was uncomfortable, and poor guy called me the next day to apologize for "freaking me out." :)

Later, I talked about it with my supervisor who is an openly gay man and an advocate for the LGBTQ community. He told me that people sometimes use 'might be' as a safety statement when they're first coming out. He said that when he was coming out, he used to tell people that he might be bi, even though he "knew damn well" he was gay. That conversation helped me realize what Danny needed from me as a friend – and more importantly, what he didn’t need.

In fact, Danny had no question about his preference and had already come out comfortably to his family and a few friends. He later explained that his nervousness was more about telling me personally. We had gotten so close as friends and it never came up that he was worried that the new information might not go over well with me. It didn’t really bother me at all, mostly because I had never really attributed any sexuality to Danny in the first place – therefore, when he came out, I was just learning more about him and not changing any thoughts I had about him before.

The next person who came out was Jill, also a trumpet player in the Marching Tar Heels. I had a crush on her all through fall semester and into spring. I had always been kinda shy around her, but I finally asked her to go to a dance performance with me at Memorial Hall; even though she had specified it was "just as friends," that didn’t change the fact that in my mind it was a date!

We had a good time at the show, and afterwards we went to get pizza at Artichoke Basil on Franklin Street. After a while of solid conversation, I noticed she seemed to have something on her mind. It was the same look she often had during band and around campus, the same look in fact that had attracted me to her in the first place. It was a look of introspection, one of silently enormous contemplation. I asked her what was on her mind, and after warning me of the intensity of the following statement, she said she had just gotten out of a big relationship. That was it? Whew! Relieved that I was simply going to be a rebound, I asked her to tell me about him.

"Well..." she said, "her name was Ellen."

Lots of things ran through my head, and being caught off guard I went into automatic RA mode - I asked how she felt about it, talked to her about campus resources, and so on. We were both understandably nervous; I was one of the first people that she had come out to that wasn't a close friend or family, and I had just found out why it really was just friends. The more we talked about it, the more both of us relaxed and felt more comfortable. At one point during the dinner, something she said reminded me of Danny. They seemed to be in very similar circumstances, so I told her about him. She was surprised - "Danny? You mean Trumpet Danny??" The night ended with happy feelings and a hug.

Over the next couple weeks we talked, hung out, and texted each other super often. It was one of the fastest and deepest friendships I've experienced! I tell her all the time (although she still doesn't believe me) that although things didn't turn out like I had expected, it was the best date I've been on. It was in fact the inspiration for my second stand up comedy attempt. It may seem strange to make public jokes about something that just happened, but of course I ran it by her first and looking back I think that being able to laugh it off so quickly really helped us both in the long run. We’re still really good friends – watch this video we made a couple nights ago!

Shortly after our 'date,' the three of us (Danny, Jill, and myself) decided to dinner together at Noodles & Co. It was awkward at first, but Danny started conversation like a pro and it all went marvelously from there. Now the three of us are super close - when we're around each other, we go by Otis, Marvin, and Gretchen (it's a running joke dontcha know) and do all sorts of randomness – that is, as much as Otis and I can convince Gretchen to do!

Otis, Marvin, and Gretchen

I feel so incredibly honored that both of them would share such an important part of themselves with me, and lucky that they did it at almost the same time. Just by talking, both Jill and Danny have felt increasingly more comfortable with being open about who they are. I feel a strong connection with their paths, because I think that having Tourette's can have a similar social effect. Both being gay and having Tourette's involve being born with a certain difference that is often misunderstood. In fact, I sometimes think of it as 'coming out' when I have to figure out how to tell someone nicely that I have Tourette's.

I look forward to our friendship developing more in the future! I continue to be amazed by the deep ties and connections made with people, especially those made through music and Tourette's.

Changes

Made this little graphic and set it as the background to my computer. Makes me stop every time.

Where are you from?

The other day, I happened to sit next to a classmate who appears to be living with some sort of psychological or psychiatric issues. I happened to notice the front of her notebook, on which was printed this sentence:

"Where I am from, this is considered normal behavior."

Just seeing that sparked so much within me, I feel I could write a book. Instead, I'll just pass it on and let you create your own meaning.

The Right to Remain Silent

(This is a monologue about Tourette's inspired by others I heard today about racial equality)

I have Tourette Syndrome, a neurological condition that causes me to make involuntary movements or make involuntary noises called tics.

I've had to say that so many times. Sometimes I have to say it because something awkward happens; sometimes because I can just see people wanting to ask but just can't. It's so relieving when you meet someone that CAN ask! It's unbelievable how many can't.

Whenever I tell a new person about my disorder there's always a moment - a moment of waiting, waiting for the next tic to come. Waiting for my Tourette's to bubble up again and prove it's existence, waiting to see what they have to say in response. Sometimes they tell me that they never would have noticed, or that it's not that bad. Some even ask me if I've ever tried to stop! Oh, how I have.

You know what really gets me, though? It gets me when people think that what they see in movies and on TV is real - or even worse, funny. People tell me all the time that I should yell things just so that I can blame it on my Tourette's and get away with it. Some even have the nerve to tell me they wish they had Tourette's just so that they could do that!

But I am stronger than that because I know how special stillness is. Every second of silence that I get to spend in my ever-moving body is a gift; every single chosen word a blessing. I appreciate how wonderful it is to say "shit" or "bitch" when only that one word fits the situation. And to those people, I mean it with every single ounce of my voluntary being when I choose to say: Fuck you.

It is my right to cope to my Tourette's how I choose to. It is my right to not explain why I tic or how it feels if I choose not to. It is my right, but not my privilege, to remain silent.

Tourette's Stand Up, Round 2!

Hello friends! Remember the stand up comedy that I did a year ago? Well the same Lewis Black competition came around again, and of course I signed up and gave it another go. My goal this time was similar to my goal the first time, which was to tell jokes about Tourette Syndrome in a way that created positive advocacy. This time, I wanted to do the same, but to also broaden the spectrum and talk about not letting differences hold someone back. I think I could have chosen words a little bit better to get that point across clearer, but I'm still happy with the final product.

Poppa K

The Carolina Union Activities Board recently put on the third annual Air Guitar Competition. The object of the competition is to pantomime playing playing guitar and to get into rocker character and go crazy. There were about seven participants, two of which were PMA brothers. They competed under the names "Mystery Meat" and "Prisoner 2013100" (Prisoner 2 for short). In the first round of competition, the contestants performed a 60-second bit they had rehearsed and prepared. For the second round, they were given a clip they had not heard beforehand and had to play along.


In the small group that showed up (it was snowing that day), most people were aware of an older couple in the audience who seemed to be having just as good a time as the students. They were... I'm guessing in their sixties? Anyway. After the last round of the competition, the emcee asked the couple "So... do you guys have a kid here or something?" The man responded no. "You just walked in off the street?" Something like that. "Do you wanna give it a shot?" Of course! "What's your rocker name?" A brief pause... then the man replied:

"My name. Is Poppa K."

He got up on stage, took of his shoes, picked up his invisible guitar and strapped it over his shoulder. He gave the cue to the sound guy and the music began. Where the other air guitar players had gone wild, Poppa K took it slow and worked the guitar soft and smooth. The song was a sort of fountain of youth for him as he got more and more into it. The crowd went wild; college kids always love seeing people their parent's age doing the dumb shit they find fun! The song drew to a close and in a brilliant flash of youthfulness, Poppa K surprised everyone by jumping off the three-foot stage toward the judges. As he landed, the thud echoed through the stunned silence in the room. Once the crowd realized he had not been seriously injured, they cheered and applauded and went crazier than they had for any of the other participants!

"Did you hurt your foot doing that?" asked the emcee.

"Oh hell yes I did!" Poppa K responded as he limped across the audience to his wife.

At the end of the air guitar competition, they played 'Free Bird' and invited everyone to air-guitar along.

Mystery Meat won the competition, the prize for which was a $100 check. I gotta say, Prisoner 2 gets special kudos for staying in a very difficult character for a period of about three hours, much of that time being spent in a straight jacket! Myself and three other PMA guys helped Poppa K get to his car after the competition. He said that if he could have done it again, he would've jumped off the stage again, too. He had a blast - and you know what? I did too. Here's some pics I lifted from Facebook:

Mystery Meat

Prisoner 2

The Emcee, Paul, Me, Stanley, Poppa K, and Mystery Meat rockin out to Free Bird

Let's Talk Tourette's

Today I had my first real public speaking gig about Tourette Syndrome. With the help of two other RAs, I put on a building-wide program called "Let's Talk Tourette's." We set up the Game Room so that there were sofas and chairs available sort of semi-circled around an arm chair which I sat in. I didn't have much planned to say, but everything came out very naturally anyway. I told the group about my history, and a little bit about the disorder itself. I explained that I find people tend to have questions about my Tourette's, but often don't feel comfortable knowing if it's appropriate to ask. I told them that no question was to personal, too big, or too small. I was asked some very good questions, which usually lead very long answers.

Twenty-seven people came out to hear me talk, which I think was a good number. A couple PMA brothers and even an alumni came to support me, as well as a couple friends who didn't live in the building. To me, I felt there were a lot of people present, maybe even uncomfortably so; but later, even people who who were sitting in the back said they felt it was a very relaxed and intimate experience.

I can't wait until next time!

New Guys

It's that time of year when Phi Mu Alpha is beginning the pledge process for a group of new guys. In fact, official installation of the potentials to probationary members is tonight! I wanted to write about an incredible experience involving both the potentials and the brothers. On Saturday, we delivered bids (which are formal invitations to join PMA as a probationary member aka pledge) and asked them to meet us in the Hill Hall auditorium at 10:00 PM if they wished to accept the offer. As it got close to 10:00, I hitched a ride to Hill Hall in a carfull of brothers and potentials. The energy between everyone was tangible, as everyone was curious to see who was going to be there!

When we got to Hill, the group I rode up with stood in the rotunda outside the auditorium chatting with some brothers. I thought I heard faint singing coming from the auditorium, but I couldn't see anyone in there. When I went to investigate, I found a group of about four or five brothers and a potential or two standing around a brother playing piano backstage. They were singing "Piano Man" which carries significance to my own pledge class. I joined in, and as the song progressed more and more joined in. By the end of the song, there were probably twenty to thirty men all standing with their arms around each other, belting out "SING US A SONG, YOU'RE THE P'ANO MAN!!!" It was a great bonding experience having everyone join in like that!

After a while we all congregated on the stage and began to discuss where we were going to eat for dinner to celebrate. For some reason that's still unknown to me, somebody started clapping a rhythm; it was a rhythm similar to the one in John Fogerty's song, Centerfield. Somebody started clapping the off beats, and I started making sixteenth notes in between the eighth notes. The next thing you know, everyone was clapping and stomping their own rhythm. It was an impromptu drum circle, and everyone had a blast just playing whatever rhythm came to them. It went on for several long energy-filled minutes. When it finally fizzled out, everyone applauded each other and asked "What the hell was that, what just happenened!?"

I'm excited to begin the pledge process with these guys, we have a really impressive group of guys. I think that the two spontaneous musical events that happened up on that stage show just how strong of a music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is, and what it always will be.